Anxiety

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A new day has arrived and it's the first day for the students of P.S. 119's high school.
And Helga is already awake and dressed.
She has been awake since 12:00 am.
Her eyes have black circles around them.
She was still tired, but she kept her eyes wide open.

Helga:
I must not fall asleep or he'll come and get me.
I must not fall asleep or he'll come and get me.

Helga says repeatedly as she stares at her clock on her desk.
It was almost time for the bus to arrive for high school.
She stands up with her locket in her hand and walks out her room.
She goes down stairs.
She passes Miriam , who is lying on the floor and holding an alcohol bottle.

Helga:
Bye, Miriam.

Helga says without looking at Miriam.
She exits her house and gets on the bus.
She pays her fee and looks at everyone on the bus.
She sees some familiar faces.
Gerald, Phoebe, Rhonda, Patty, Nadine, and Park.
Helga sits in the back of the bus with Gerald and Phoebe in front of her.

Phoebe:
Morning, Helga. Ready for our first day? You're looking good.

Rhonda:
Are you high or something, Phoebe?
She looks practically the same.
Poor middle class, if you were rich like me, then you'd look better.

Helga:
THANKS, your majesty.

Gerald:
I'm sure we'll do just fine on our first day. I'm not worried.

Helga:
Pfft. Why would any of us be? Everyone in our 8th grade class is transferring to P.S. 119.
We just have new teachers and I pray they are just as gullible and lame as Mr. Simmons, huh.

Nadine:
I hope they allow my bugs inside.

Helga:
We all know you're gonna sneak them inside, anyways!

Nadine:
Of course. I stuffed some of my cockroaches inside my bra. They love holding onto my breasts!

Everyone looks at Nadine.

Rhonda:
Oh my god. NOBODY , ABSOLUTELY NOBODY needed to know that.

Gerald:
Hey, I'm just glad most of us are still together considering what happened last year.

Park:
Uh, what happened last year?

Phoebe:
Oh, that's right...you weren't at school on that dreadful day.

Patty:
Gerald, did you really have to bring that up?
Come on, it's the first day of high school.
Don't mention that day again or I will need to teach you a lesson after class.

Gerald looks nervous.

Gerald:
Okay, okay, sorry, sorry.

Helga:
(Whispers to Phoebe)
Geez. She's still fat and mad.

Phoebe:
Helga, she's literally you, but you're skinner.

Helga:
Hey! Look, all I'm trying to say is that Patty the pig seems to be to herself more and distant.
Even though she scares pretty much everyone, she always was around others and having conversations. Look at her, she is sitting by no one!

Phoebe:
It's only the first day of school. She's probably just not in the mood to be by others and who wants to talk about that day, anyways?
It was traumatizing to everyone, including me.

Helga looks down.

Helga:
Yeah...
Let's not talk about it.

The bus arrives to P.S. 119's High school.
It's big and brown.
It is the twin of P.S. 118's middle school, but it's only bigger.

Phoebe:
Gosh. It's huge. It's a really huge school!

Gerald:
Calm down, babe.
Don't let this place scare you.

Helga:
Yeah, don't get anxiety from this crappy school...although we ARE fresh meat.

Phoebe:
Helga!

Helga:
What? It's true, but I dare someone to try me.

Suddenly, Gerald jumps out of his seat and looks out the window very closely.

Gerald:
Wait, is that Arnold?

Helga:
Arnold?!

Phoebe looks close to the window and so does everyone else.

Phoebe:
(Gasps)
It sure is!

Rhonda:
What are we waiting for?
Let's go see Arnold!

Everyone cheers and quickly exits the bus, except for Helga.
She still sits on the bus with a frown on her face that slowly becomes into a slight smile.
She watches from the window of Arnold being surrounded by everyone.
He was happy to see his friends.
He had longer hair that anybody could easily mistaken him for a girl.
He grew just a tad bit taller, but he was still short.

Helga:
Oh, Arnold!

Falls back on the seat.

When did you come back? How was your trip?
Ooh, I'm so happy that you're back in one piece. The two years without you were painful and quite brutal, but I'm happy you didn't experience it.
This school year should go smoothly now that you're here.
I can't take my eyes off of you. Criminy, I should've dressed better today. I am too nervous to see you. I'm too nervous to speak to you. The last time we saw each other was when you decided to leave in the middle of six grade. It broke my heart, but now you're here and I must see you closer. No, I can't... I can't do this. I can't , I can't go out there..wait...get it together, Helga! You can. You're Helga G. Pataki and you been missing the football head for what seemed to be eternity and now he's here. Ugh, but what if he doesn't want to see me??

Driver:
Uh, sweetheart, I know you're still on my bus! Ain't this your school?
Could you get off, please?

Helga rises from her seat and stands up.

Helga:
Oh, right!

She runs out the bus and it drives off. Helga pauses as she sees Arnold is still surrounded by many people.

You look the same, but it's okay, my darling!
I still deeply love you.
I can smell that mysterious shampoo you use in your hair from all the way over here,

Helga takes a huge deep breathe and then exhales.

I can see that you're still short and friendly!
That blue hat is still resting peacefully on your hair.
Oh, how I envy it.

Suddenly, Arnold looks over to see Helga in the far back.

Arnold:
Helga, is that you?

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